Pet-door-containing insert unit for a sliding-door frame

ABSTRACT

A pet-door-containing insert unit for a sliding-door frame of the type including upper and lower, substantially parallel, laterally directed, sliding-door trackways, and end-positioned, vertically directed door jamb, and at least one sliding door cooperating with said sliding-door frame and normally lockingly abuttable with said vertically directed door jamb. The pet-doorcontaining insert unit includes an insert unit frame adapted to be positioned vertically between the upper and lower trackways of the sliding-door frame, with one side portion thereof being adapted to abut the door jamb of the sliding-door frame and with the other side portion thereof being adapted to abut the laterally movable, vertical edge of a sliding door which normally abuts the door jamb, thus providing a complete closure of the opening defined by the sliding-door frame, said closure comprising, in part, the conventional sliding door and, in part, the pet-door-containing insert unit of the present invention which contains a pet-doorway-defining frame means provided with a normally closed, pet-openable door member positioned thereacross and, in certain forms of the invention, an additional auxiliary, controllably removable sealing door for completely and positively sealing the pet-doorway-defining opening, when desired. In one preferred form, the auxiliary door may be mounted on either side of the pet-doorway-defining frame means.

United States Patent Blackwell [151 3,654,733 [451 Apr. 11,1972

[54] PET-DOOR-CONTAINING INSERT UNIT FOR A SLIDING-DOOR FRAME [72] Inventors: Ray E. Blackwell, c/o PO. Box 18948.

[52] US. Cl ....49/168, 49/67, 52/207 [51] Int. Cl ..E06b 7/28 [58] Field of Search ..49/410, 411, 382, 168,169,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,186,566 6/1916 Fogg ..49/169 2,603,822 7/1952 Evans ..49/67 2,758,646 8/1956 Johnson... .....l60/FD 3,186,027 6/1965 Merillat ...49/382 X 3,464,158 9/1969 Greene ..49/410 X Primary ExaminerKenneth Downey ABSTRACT A pet-door-containing insert unit for a sliding-door frame of the type including upper and lower, substantially parallel, laterally directed, sliding-door trackways, and end-positioned, vertically directed door jamb, and at least one sliding door cooperating with said sliding-door frame and normally lockingly abuttable with said vertically directed door jamb. The pet-door-containing insert unit includes an insert unit frame adapted to be positioned vertically between the upper and lower trackways of the sliding-door frame, with one side portion thereof being adapted to abut the door jamb of the sliding-door frame and with the other side portion thereof being adapted to abut the laterally movable, vertical edge of a sliding door which normally abuts the door jamb, thus providing a complete closure of the opening defined by the slidingdoor frame, said closure comprising, in part, the conventional sliding door and, in part, the pet-door-containing insert unit of the present invention which contains a pet-doorway-defining frame means provided with a normally closed, pet-openable door member positioned thereacross and, in certain forms of the invention, an additional auxiliary, controllably removable sealing door for completely and positively sealing the petdoorway-defining opening, when desired. In one preferred form, the auxiliary door may be mounted on either side of the pet-doorway-defining frame means.

4 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures II I F {I l 5 E 2 ii 8 40 PET-DOOR-CONTAINING INSERT UNIT FOR A SLIDING- DOOR FRAME Generally speaking, the pet-door-containing insert unit of the present invention comprises a substantially rectangular insert unit including an insert unit frame provided with intermediate panel means which, in one preferred form, may be transparent so as to match the transparent window portions of laterally adjacent sliding-door means. The insert unit frame is further provided with a pet-doorway-defining frame means which is usually at or adjacent to the bottom thereof below the intermediate panel (usually a transparent window) with the pet-doorway-defining frame means being provided with a normally closed, pet-openable, and automatically closable door member of relatively defiectable construction and mounting normally lying across and substantially closing the pet-doorway opening defined by the pet-doorway-defining frame means.

In one preferred form of the invention, the pet-openable door member is provided with attachment means (in one form, at the top thereof) effectively attaching the pet door with respect to a corresponding portion of the pet-doorwaydefining frame means.

In one preferred form, said attachment means may comprise effective hinge means of any suitable type, although a preferred form thereof comprises a flexible, effective hinge means of flexible elastomeric or plastic material characterized by what is known as plastic memory and thus comprising what is known in the art as a living hinge means".

One preferred form of the invention is also provided with an auxiliary sealing door and mounting means for movably mounting same in a manner such as to be adapted to move between an open position and a fully closed, sealed position completely and positively closing off and sealing the pet-doorway opening defined by the pet-doorway-defining frame means.

Also, in one preferred form the mounting means for the auxiliary sealing door may be so arranged as to permit interchangeable mounting of the sealing door in either of two different positions relative to the pet-doorway-defining frame means and/or the easy and simple one-movement, complete removing of the auxiliary sealing door from the pet-doorwaydefining frame means when it is not desired to use same. This makes it possible to appropriately position the auxiliary door for either desired inside or outside cooperation with the petdoorway opening when the complete insert unit is mounted in the conventional sliding-door frame in a manner abutting a left door jamb or, in a reversed manner, abutting a right door jamb in other words, with the insert unit being effectively reversible.

The important point to note in connection with the novel apparatus of the present invention is the fact that it provides a pet-door-containing insert unit which can be very quickly and easily mounted in a portion of a conventional sliding-door frame, either at the time that the door frame is initially installed in the wall of a house or building, or subsequent thereto, and which requires no modification of either the conventional sliding door or conventional sliding-door frame whatsoever the insert unit of the present invention providing a convenient pet-openable and automatically closable pet door to allow a pet to pass therethrough in either direction. At any time that it is desired to resume the completely normal operation of the sliding door and sliding-door frame, it is only necessary to remove the pet-door-containing insert unit, which can be done in a few minutes, and it will be found that both the conventional sliding door and sliding-door frame structure is fully returned to its normal condition such as existed prior to mounting the pet-door-containing insert unit within the sliding-door frame and between one vertical edge of the sliding door and a similar, vertically directed door jamb of the sliding-door frame.

In other words, when the pet-door-containing insert unit is mounted with respect to a conventional sliding-door frame and a conventional sliding door, the overall effect is substantially the same as existed without the pet-door-containing insert unit, insofar as the operation of the conventional sliding door and sliding-door frame are concerned the pet-doorcontaining insert unit having substantially no effect thereon and not in any way interfering with the normal operation thereof. This is a major advantage since, in the past, it has been virtually impossible to provide a pet door in any portion of a conventional sliding door or sliding-door frame because of the fact that this would require the cutting and removal of a piece of the tempered window glass employed therein, which normally cannot be done without damaging the remainder of the glass window panel and, even if possible, would result in a permanent modification and change of the conventional sliding-gIass-door, which perhaps would not be desired by subsequent tenants or occupants of the building, who perhaps might not own a pet. This problem is completely met and overcome in and through the use of the novel pet-door-containing insert unit of the present invention, which requires no modification of a conventional sliding door or sliding-door frame and yet cooperates fully therewith when inserted and can be removed quickly and easily so that the sliding door and sliding-door frame will then operate in an entirely conventional and normal manner identical to its initial operation before the mounting of the pet-door-containing insert unit with respect thereto at one end of the sliding-door frame.

With the above points in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel pet-door-containing insert unit for a sliding-door frame requiring no modification of the conventional sliding door or conventional sliding-door frame and which can be quickly and easily installed or removed, when desired, and which has any or all of the advantages referred to herein and includes any or all of the features referred to herein, generically and/or specifically, and individually or in combination, and which is of an extremely adaptable nature suitable for mounting in virtually any type of preexisting sliding-door frame and which further is of a relatively inexpensive, simple, easy-to-install-and-easy-to-manufacture construction such as to lead to the widespread and large-scale manufacture, sale, and use of the invention for the purposes outlined herein or for any other substantial functional equivalent thereof.

Further objects are implicit in the detailed description which follows hereinafter (which is to be considered as exemplary of, but not specifically limiting, the present invention), and said objects will be apparent to persons skilled in the art after a careful study of the detailed description which follows hereinafter, and all such implicit objects are intended to be included and comprehended herein as fully as if particularly defined and pointed out herein.

For the purpose of clarifying the nature of the present invention, one exemplary, but non-specifically limiting, embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the hereinbelowdescribed figures of the accompanying two sheets of drawings and is described in detail hereinafter.

FIG. 1 is a greatly reduced-size, outside perspective view of one exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in mounted, installed relationship with respect to a pre-existing assembly of sliding and fixed doors and a sliding-door frame mounting same, with the insert unit being positioned between the door-jamb-abuttable, vertical side edge of the sliding door and the vertically directed door jamb of the sliding-door frame in a manner effectively providing a complete closure of the region containing the insert unit and which would otherwise normally be open when the right-hand sliding door is in the position shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 is an oppositely positioned, inside perspective view of the pet-door-containing insert unit of FIG. 1 showing its orientation with respect to the adjacent sliding door, the upper and lower sliding-door frame trackways, and the vertically directed end-positioned door-jamb portion of the sliding-door frame, as viewed from an inside vantage point on the opposite side of the structure from the viewing vantage point of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to a lower portion of FIG. 2, but in this case shows the auxiliary sealing door in open position and also shows a portion of the petopenable and automatically closable door member partially broken away for reasons of drawing clarity.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to the bottom portion of FIG. 1, but shows the pet-openable and automatically closable door member in an outwardly open relationship, such as it would assume when a pet passes through the pet doorway from the inside thereof to the outside thereof. It of course should be understood that the pet-openable, automatically closable door member shown in FIG. 4 would be similarly deflected in an opposite inward direction when a pet passes through the pet doorway in the opposite direction that is, from the outside thereof to the inside thereof. In either case, the pet-door member automatically closes following the passage of the pet through the pet doorway into a position fully closing off the pet-doorway opening in a manner such as that shown in FIG. 3, taking into account the fact that the door member is shown with the lower left corner partially broken away in FIG. 3, but would actually extend down fully across the pet-doorway opening in a manner similar to that shown at the lower right-hand corner of said door member in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, partially-broken-away sectional view taken substantially along the plane and in the.

direction indicated by the arrows 5-5 of FIG. 1 and clearly shows the detailed side engagement of the insert unit with respect to the leftwardly adjacent, vertical edge of the conventional sliding door and the rightwardly adjacent conventional door-jamb portion of the complete conventional sliding-door frame.

FIG. 6 is another fragmentary, partially-broken-away sectional view taken substantially along the plane and in the direction indicated by the arrows 6-6 of FIG. 4 (although the auxiliary sealing door is shown closed, in phantom lines, in this view rather than open as in FIGS. 3 and 4), and clearly illustrates the structure of the pet-door-defining frame means and the temporarily open position of the pet-openable door member thereacross. This view also illustrates the fully locked position of the auxiliary sealing door across the inside of the pet-doorway opening for positively closing and sealing same when desired and shows in dotted lines the auxiliary sealing door after it has been unlocked and is in the act of being pivoted into the open solid-line position to allow the primary pet-openable and automatically closable pet door member to become operative and controllably openable and closable by a pet rather than being effectively overridden by the positively closed and locked auxiliary sealing door shown in phantom lines in FIG. 6.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, partly-broken-away view taken substantially along the plane and in the direction indicated by the arrows 77 of FIG. 2 and clearly illustrates one exemplary type of easily disengageable and engageable hinge means for mounting the auxiliary sealing door in a manner which allows it to be readily opened and closed and also to be very easily completely removed, when desired, and subsequently re-engaged and remounted just as easily, when desired.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, enlarged view similar to the portion of FIG. 7 enclosed in the circle designated by the arrow and reference numeral 8 and illustrates a representative one of the two easily disengageable mounting hinge means, in this case showing said hinge means in disengaged relationship rather than in the engaged relationship illustrated in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken substantially along the plane and in the direction indicated by the arrows 99 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged, fragmentary, partly-broken away view taken substantially along the plane and in the direction indicated by the arrows 1010 of FIG. 1 and illustrates one exemplary form of auxiliary sealing means of a flexible wiping type adapted to provide a positive seal between the edge of the fixed door frame and the rightwardly adjacent sliding-door glass panel, which would normally be sealed if the right-hand sliding door were against the vertical door jamb of the slidingdoor frame but which, because of the interpositioning of the insert unit, causes the left vertical frame portion of the sliding door to be displaced toward the left from the right vertical frame portion of the fixed door which would break the conventional seal therebetween, except for the provision of the auxiliary novel flexible wiping seal means most clearly illustrated in FIG. 10.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged, fragmentary, partly-broken-away view taken substantially along the plane and in the direction indicated by the solid-line arrows 11-11 of FIG. 1, but of a modified form of the invention wherein the sliding door is positioned in upper and lower trackways outside of the leftwardly adjacent fixed door rather than inside thereof as shown in FIG. 1. Furthermore, it should be noted that, while this view is taken along the plane indicated by the solid-line arrows 11-11 of FIG. 1, it alternatively may also be taken along the plane indicated by the phantom-line arrows llll of FIG. 1 of course, still illustrating a modified form of the invention from that of FIG. 1 having the above-mentioned, outside-positioned sliding door. In either of the alternative FIG. 11 positions, this modification illustrates the mounting of an upwardmovement-preventing block member in the upper-trackway portion of the sliding-door frame means at a location such as to positively prevent the outside-positioned sliding door from being removed from the outside when it is positively locked with respect to the adjacent pet-door-containing insert unit.

Generally speaking, the present invention comprises a petdoor-containing insert unit for a sliding-door frame. In the exemplary first form of the invention illustrated, the pet-doorcontaining insert unit in one exemplary but non-specificallylimiting form, is generally designated by the reference numeral 20 and a conventional sliding-door mounting frame is generally designated by the reference numeral 22 and includes upper and lower, substantially parallel, laterally directed, sliding-door trackways 24 and 26 and an end-positioned, vertically directed, door-jamb portion 28. The conventional sliding-door frame, indicated generally at 22, is provided with a fixed door 20 and a sliding door 32, with the fixed door 30 being fixedly mounted between corresponding upper and lower portions 25 and 27 of the sliding-door frame 22 and with the sliding door 32 being transversely slidably mounted between corresponding offset upper and lower trackway parts 24 and 26 of the sliding-door frame 22 for normal transverse slidable movement between a leftwardly extreme position, as viewed in FIG. 1, of the sliding door 32 which would correspond to its being fully open and a rightwardly extreme position thereof, as viewed in FIG. 1, of the sliding door 32 with the right vertical frame portion 33 thereof abutting the vertical door-jamb portion 28 of the sliding-door frame means 22 and adapted to be locked with respect thereto by conventional locking means of the type indicated generally by the reference numeral 34, as best shown in FIG. 5.

However, in the exemplary arrangement illustrated, said sliding door 32 is shown leftwardly displaced (as viewed in FIG. 1) from its normal, rightwardly extreme, fully closed relationship, as just described above, in order to define a rectangular opening within the extreme right-end portion of the sliding-door frame 22 which receives the pet-door-containing insert unit 20 of the present invention which fully closes off said rectangular opening which existed prior to the mounting of the pet-door-containing insert unit 20 in the corresponding portion of the sliding-door frame 22 defined by reason of the partially open position of the sliding door 32.

It should be understood that, when the pet-door-containing insert unit 20 is mounted in the previously existing, rightwardly extreme, rectangular opening defined between the partially open sliding door 32 and the right end portion of the sliding-door frame 22, the overall effect is to provide a complete closure of the opening in a manner substantially fully equivalent to the closed condition normally provided when the sliding door 32 is in its rightwardly extreme, fully closed position as referred to above. Furthermore, it should be noted that if, at any time, the pet-door-containing insert unit is removed from the mounted position thereof with respect to the sliding-door frame 22 as shown in the figures of the drawing, the entire apparatus then reassumes its normal mode of operation prior to the initial mounting of the pet-door-containing insert unit 20 in the end of the sliding-door frame 22, and since no modification of the conventional sliding door and sliding-door-frame structure has been effected, there will be no modification of its entirely conventional subsequent operatron.

The pet-door-containing insert unit 20, in the exemplary but non-specifically-limiting form thereof shown in the figures of the drawings, comprises an insert-unit frame indicated generally at 35 which, in the example illustrated, is of substantially rectangular shape and is substantially centrally provided with an insert-unit intermediate panel means 36 which, in said exemplary form of the invention illustrated, comprises a transparent window of substantially rectangular shape, although not specifically so limited.

The insert-unit frame 35 is also provided with a pet-doorway-defining frame means, such as is generally designated by the reference numeral 38, immediately below the intermediate panel or window 36. The pet-doorway-defining frame means 38 is provided with a normally closed, pet-openable, automatically closable door member 40 normally lying across and substantially closing the pet-doorway opening 41 defined by the pet-doorway-defrning frame means 38 in a manner such as is shown in full in FIG. 1 and fragmentarily in FIG. 3. The pet-openable door member 40 is provided with attachment means for effectively attaching same with respect to a corresponding portion of the pet-doorway-defining frame means 38. In the example illustrated, said attachment means is positioned at the top of the pet-openable door member and effectively attaches same with respect to a corresponding top portion 42 of the pet-doorway-defining frame means 38 as indicated at 44.

Also, in the example illustrated, said attachment means 44 may be said to include flexible, effective hinge means at the location designated by the reference numeral 46. In the exemplary form of the invention, said effective hinge means 46 is provided by reason of the fact that the entire pet-openable door member 40 is made of an elastomeric, plastic, or rubberlike material integrally connected at the top thereof with respect to the corresponding to portion 42 of the pet-doorway-defining frame means 38, and the flexible characteristic of the material of the adjacent top portion of the pet-openable door member 46) at the location indicated at 46 provides said effective hinge means capable of easy deflection by a pet passing through the pet-doorway-opening 41 in either direction the body of the pet merely abutting the corresponding inside or outside surface of the central part of the pet-openable door member 40 and pushing same on through the pet doorway 41 in the direction of travel of the pet by reason of the easily deflectable, effective hinge means provided at the location indicated by the reference numeral 46. This opening of the door member 40 when a pet passes through the pet doorway 41 is illustrated in one direction only for exemplary purposes in FIG. 4 and 6, with the pet not being shown for reasons of drawing simplicity and clarity. It of course should be understood that the opposite type of closing deflection of the pet-openable door member 40 is substantially the same as that shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 but oppositely directed and, therefore, is not thought to require separate illustration.

It will be understood that, as soon as the pet has passed completely through the pet doorway 41 in either direction, the pet-openable door member 40 will automatically return to fully closed position such as shown in full in FIG. 1 and shown fragmentarily in FIG. 3. by reason of the effective biasing of the hinge means 46 toward said closed position of the petopenable door member 40. In the exemplary form of the invention illustrated, wherein the pet-openable door member 40 and the attachment means 44 thereof are made of flexible, elastomeric, rubber-like or plastic material, the return biasing force is provided by the characteristic of such material known as plastic memory and, in the case of normally elastic materials, it is provided by reason of the fact that a resilient or elastic material normally returns to the null or zero deflection position after each deflection within the range of elastic deflection capabilities thereof less than the yield point of the material.

Of course, if desired, a relatively rigid pet-openable door member 40 may be provided with hinge means and effective biasing means in lieu of the specific structure just described above, and all such structural or functional, substantially equivalent arrangement are intended to be included and comprehended within the broad scope hereof.

Also, the location of the attachment means may be modified from the top position illustrated.

In the exemplary form of the invention illustrated, an auxiliary sealing door is provided, one exemplary and non-specifically-limiting form of which is generally designated by the reference numeral 48. Said auxiliary sealing door 48 is adapted to be mounted across the pet doorway 41 in a manner such as to positively fully close and effectively seal the pet doorway 41 for either or both of the two primary purposes. One of said purposes is the effective overriding and inactiva tion of the pet-openable door member 40, which becomes inoperable whenever the auxiliary sealing door 48 (which is of a rigid form) is fastened in the fully closed, sealed relationship shown in solid lines in FIGS. 2 and 5 and in phantom lines in FIG. 6. A second purpose of the auxiliary sealing door 48 is to prevent heat transfer through the pet doorway 41, such as might occur in an inward direction when ambient weather outside of a home or building is extremely hot or such as might occur in an outward direction when ambient weather outside of home or building is extremely cold, and the inside of the building is heated. Also, the effectively sealed, closed relationship of the auxiliary sealing door 48 will prevent any possibility of outside moisture, such as rain, snow, or the like particularly when carried by a high wind entering a building or structure through the pet doorway 41 in an undesired manner.

However, when there is no need or desire to positively inactivate the pet-openable door 40 or to positively and substantially sealingly close off the pet-doorway opening 41 for any of the reasons briefly outlined above, the auxiliary sealing door 48 may be swung into an effectively inoperative, open position such as the extreme rightward position shown in solid lines in FIGS. 3 and 6, or the entire auxiliary sealing door 48 can be temporarily removed from its mounting with respect to the adjacent portion of the pet-doorway-defining frame means 38 and the auxiliary sealing door 48 can be temporarily stored away in any convenient location until it may be subsequently required or desired at a later date for any of the purposes briefly outlined hereinbefore.

In the exemplary form of the invention illustrated, the above-mentioned easy removal of the auxiliary sealing door 48 is made possible by a controllably engageable and disengageable type of pivotal mounting means, such as is generally designated by the reference numeral 50, which effectively comprises a pair of vertically spaced hinge means also generally designated by said reference numeral 50, with each of said hinge means including a hinge door part 52 and a hinge frame part 54 effectively pivotally interconnected in a controllably engageable and disengageable manner so that, when engaged, the auxiliary sealing door 48 is mounted for hinged opening and closing movement in a manner such as is clearly indicated by a comparison of FIGS. 2 and 3 and by a careful examination of the phantom-line, closed position of the auxiliary sealing door 48 shown in FIG. 6 and two different positions of said sealing door shown in dotted and phantom lines in FIG. 6 indicating a partially open and a fully open position thereof.

In the example illustrated, each of the two hinge door parts 52 and each of the two hinge frame parts 54 comprises corresponding male and female parts (although they may be positionally reversed), with each male part, such as indicated at 56, comprising a downwardly directed pintle member; and with each female part, such as indicated at 58, comprising an upwardly open pintle receiver. Thus, it will be understood that the entire pet door 48 can be readily mounted with respect to the corresponding side part 60 of the pet-doorway-defining frame means 38 by merely moving each of the pintle members 56 over the corresponding one of the two pintle receivers 58 and then moving the two pintles 56 downwardly into full engagement within the two corresponding ones of the two pintle receivers 58. This will fully mount the auxiliary sealing door 48 in a relationship such as is clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Conversely, the entire auxiliary sealing door 48 can be quickly removed from its mounting over the pet-doorway opening 41 by merely lifting it up so as to slidably, upwardly move the two pintles 56 out of the corresponding two pintle receivers 58, which will result in full and complete disengagement of the hinge means 50 so that the auxiliary sealing door 48 can be stored away in any convenient location until subsequently required.

In a preferred form of the invention, the auxiliary sealing door 48 and an adjacent portion of the pet-door-way-defining frame means 38 is provided with controllably engageable and disengageable latching means for latching the sealing door 48 in the above-mentioned, fully closed, sealed relationship across the pet-doorway opening 41. In the exemplary form of the invention illustrated, said latching means is shown in one illustrative embodiment at 62 and comprises a hook member 64 and a hook-receiving member 66, with one of said members being carried by the door 48 and the other of said members being carried by the adjacent side portion 68 of the petdoorway-defining frame means 38.

In the example illustrated, the hook member 64 is pivotally carried by said frame portion 68 and the hook-receiving member 66 is carried by the auxiliary sealing door 48. However, it should be clearly understood that they may be positionally reversed and also that the complete latching means 62 may take a variety of other substantially structurally or functionally equivalent forms including positive locking forms thereof which would require a positive unlocking action, either with a key or a combination lock knob, or any other equivalent means, if such a positive locking form of the latching means 62 is desired.

In one preferred form of the invention, additional hinge means similar to those shown at 50 and previously described hereinbefore for removably mounting the auxiliary sealing door 48 may be provided in order to make it possible to mount said sealing door 48 in a different orientation and relationship with respect to the pet doorway 41. In certain forms of the invention, this may be advantageous where the entire insert unit 20 is to be positionally reversed relative to the sliding-door mounting frame means 22, such as, for example, when it is to be mounted at the opposite end of such a sliding-door frame means 22 from the arrangement shown in FIG. 1.

One exemplary location for such additional pivotal mounting or hinge means is indicated at 50', and it will be understood that this allows the entire auxiliary sealing door 48 to be positionally reversed from the arrangement shown in solid lines in FIG. into the position shown in phantom lines in FIG. 5. Of course, in this modification there is also a supplementary or additional latching means oppositely positioned and located such as is indicated at 62' in order to make it possible to properly latch the auxiliary sealing door 48 when in said reverse-mounted location.

In the exemplary form of the invention illustrated, the entire insert-unit frame means 21 is adapted to be mounted in the position shown with respect to the sliding-door mounting frame means 22 by being positioned vertically between the corresponding vertically spaced, upper and lower sliding-door trackway means 24 and 26 with top and bottom edges 70 and 72 of the insert-unit frame means 21 being effectively engageable therewith in a fixed manner, primarily by reason of the fact that the notch 74 carried by the bottom edge of the insertunit frame means 21 is jammed onto the upwardly projecting ridge 76 of the lower trackway means 26 of the sliding-door frame means 22 in a non-movable manner and the entire insert-unit frame means 21 is fastened in said relationship by having appropriate threaded fastener means 78 (two or more) screwed through the adjacent right-edge portions 80 of the insert-unit frame means 21 and the corresponding receivingedge portions 82 of the previously mentioned vertical doorjamb portion 28 of the sliding-door frame means 22, as is best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Thus, the insert unit 20 is positively and rigidly locked in place in the right end of the sliding-door frame means 22 in a manner such as to be incapable of being removed from the outside so that a burglar or other unauthorized person cannot remove same for the purpose of effecting an unauthorized entry into a house or building. This is so because the fastening screws 78 are located on the inside of the insert unit 20 and the door-jamb portion 28 to which it is fastened thereby. The left-side frame portion 84 of the insert-unit frame means 21 is provided with a lock receiver, as indicated at 86, adapted to receive a conventional lock, latching element, or bolt member 88 of the conventional sliding-door locking means, as indicated at 34, which is adapted to be manually rotated into the receiver 86 by the operation of the operating handle 92. An additional key-operated tumblertype lock or rotary combination-type lock may be employed, if desired, for positively locking the locking means 34 in fully locked relationship until properly unlocked through the use of an appropriate key or combination, if desired. It should be noted that the sliding-door locking means 34 is conventionally provided in the right frame edge portion 33 of the sliding door 32 and is normally adapted to cooperate with a similar lock receiver 86 carried by the door-jamb portion 28 when the sliding door 32 abuts said door-jamb portion 28 during normal operation thereof prior to mounting of, or subsequent to removal of, the entire insert unit 20.

It should be noted that a flexible, elastomeric, sealing flange member, such as is indicated at 94, as best shown in FIG. 10, is preferably mounted on the inside of the fixed door 30 as so to sealingly wipe the outer surface of the sliding-door member 32 and to maintain a positive sealing engagement therewith at all times, irrespective of the lateral position of the sliding door 32. Thus, there is no question of leakage occurring between the fixed door 30 and the sliding door 32 because of the fact that it is leftwardly displaced from its normal extreme right position because of the mounting of the insert unit 20 in the right end of the sliding-door frame means 22.

Normally, when the insert unit 20 is not mounted in the sliding-door frame means 22, the sliding door 32 is adapted to abut the door-jamb portion 28 and to be positively locked thereagainst by the locking means 34 and there is virtually no possibility of a would-be burglar gaining easy access to the interior of a house or building by removing the sliding door 32 from its mounted and locked position. However, there is some possibility that this might be accomplished when the insert unit 20 is mounted in the right end of the sliding-door frame means 22 in the manner illustrated in the figures of the drawings because the upper trackway means 24 of the slidingdoor frame means 22 has sufficient vertical clearance above the top edge of the top frame portion 96 of the sliding door 32 to allow it to be initially inserted thereinto, moved upwardly as far as possible, and then moved downwardly so that the roller means 98 carried by the bottom frame portion 100 of the sliding door 32 will rest upon the upwardly projecting ridge portion 76 of the lower trackway means 26 to provide for a minimum-friction, effectively slidable mounting of the entire slidable door 32. The only positive point of attachment of the sliding door 32-preventing removal thereof from the slidingdoor frame means 22 by performing the reverse of the abovedescribed operation, would be the two screws 78 attaching the right-side frame portion 80 of the insert-unit frame means 21 to the door-jamb portion 28 and since the sliding door 32 extends substantially to the left thereof, there would be a considerable effective lever arm acting against the two-point attachment provided by said screws 78. Thus, in order to positively prevent unauthorized removal of the sliding door 32, particularly when it is an outside sliding door as shown in FIG. 11, a block 102 may be positioned in the upper trackway means 24 at a location such as to positively prevent the upper frame portion 96 of the sliding door 32 from being moved upwardly to a degree sufiicient to allow it to be removed entirely from the sliding-door frame means 22. This block 102 can be so located as to allow the outside sliding door 32 to be initially mounted in the sliding-door frame means 22 in a manner similar to that previously described but at a laterally offset location from the block 102 and then slidably moved into a position underlying the block 102 such as the position of the inside sliding door 32 as illustrated in FIG. 1, for example. Thus, it will be virtually impossible for anybody to remove the sliding door 32 or the insert unit 20 from the outside when the locking means 90 is locked.

lt should be noted that while the apparatus of the first form of the present invention is shown in cooperation with an inside-mounted sliding-door construction wherein the sliding door 32 is positioned inside of the fixed door 30, the invention is equally applicable to a reversed arrangement wherein the sliding door 32 is positioned outside of the fixed door 30. It should also be noted that the present invention is adapted for use with such sliding-door arrangements, either with or without screens positioned either inside or outside of the various door elements, and all such arrangements are intended to be included and comprehended within the broad scope of the present invention.

It should also be noted that, in order to make the insert unit 20 completely reversible, a preferred form thereof may have both of the side frame portions 80 and 84 symmetrically shaped and provided with similar lock receiver portions 86.

It should be understood that the figures and the specific description thereof set forth in this application are for the purpose of illustrating the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention to the precise and detailed specific structure shown in the figures and specifically described hereinbefore. Rather, the real invention is intended to include substantially equivalent constructions embodying the basic teachings and inventive concept of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A pet-door-containing insert unit for a sliding-door frame, including upper and lower substantially parallel, laterally directed, sliding-door trackway means, an end-positioned, vertically directed door jamb, and a sliding door cooperating therewith, comprising: a substantially rectangular insert unit frame means provided with a pet-doorway-defining frame means adjacent to the bottom thereof; said pet-doorway-defining frame means being provided with a normally closed, pet-openable, automatically closable door member normally lying across and substantially closing a pet doorway opening defined by said pet-doorway-defining frame means; said pet-openable door member being provided with attachment means effectively attaching same with respect to a corresponding portion of said pet-doorway-defining frame means, said attachment means comprising effective hinge means of flexible material characterized by what is known as plastic memory; said insert unit frame means being adapted to be positioned vertically between corresponding, vertically spaced, upper and lower, sliding-door trackway means, with top and bottom edges of said insert unit frame means being fixedly engageable therewith, and with a first vertical side edge of said insert unit frame means being laterally engageable and abuttable with an end-positioned, vertically directed door jamb of a sliding-door frame and with an opposite second vertical side edge of said insert unit frame means being laterally engageable and abuttable with a vertically directed edge of a sliding door slidably carried between such vertically spaced, upper and lower, sliding-door trackway means of such a sliding-door frame whereby to provide a continuous closure of an opening which would otherwise be present between such a vertically directed sliding-door edge and such a vertically directed door jamb of such a sliding-door frame; an auxiliary sealing door movably mounted with respect to a corresponding portion of said pet-doorway-defining frame means and of a size and shape such as to be movable between an open position and a fully closed, sealed position completely closing off and sealing the pet doorway opening defined by said pet-doorway-defining frame means, said auxiliary sealing door and an adjacent portion of said pet-doorway-defining frame means being provided with controllably engageable and controllably disengageable, side-positioned, latching means for latching said auxiliary sealing door at one side thereof in said fully closed, sealed relationship, when desired; said mounting of said auxiliary sealing door being achieved by the provision of side-positioned hinge means including two vertically separable mating parts comprising a hinge door part mounted along a corresponding side edge of said auxiliary sealing door and a hinge frame part carried by a corresponding side portion of said pet-doorway-defining frame means, with said two mating hinge parts being effectively pivotally interconnected for rotation around a substantially vertical axis and being directly vertically separable, said hinge door part and said hinge frame part comprising corresponding male and female parts, with said male part being directly vertically insertible into said female part and being correspondingly oppositely directly vertically removable therefrom whenever it is desired to completely remove the aux-iliary sealing door from the ad jacent side-positioned mounting portion of the pet-doorwaydefining frame means.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said second vertically directed side edge of said insert unit frame means is provided with one portion of a two-element sliding-door latch and lock means lockingly and unlockingly cooperable with a mating element of such a two-element sliding-door latch and lock means adapted to be correspondingly, positionally carried by an adjacent, vertically directed edge of such a sliding door adapted to be carried by such a sliding-door frame.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein an opposite portion of said pet-doorway-defining frame means is provided with an additional hinge frame part interchangeably engageable with the corresponding hinge door part of the auxiliary sealing door whereby to provide for interchangeable mounting of said auxiliary sealing door in either of at least two different positions relative to said pet doorway opening defined within said pet-doorway-defining frame means, thus making the insert unit means interchangeably reversible for cooperation with a sliding-door frame trackway means and either a left or right, substantially vertically directed door jamb thereof.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said insert unit frame means is provided with an intermediate panel means comprising a substantially transparent window positioned above said pet-doorway-defining frame means. 

1. A pet-door-containing insert unit for a sliding-door frame, including upper and lower substantially parallel, laterally directed, sliding-door trackway means, an end-positioned, vertically directed door jamb, and a sliding door cooperating therewith, comprising: a substantially rectangular insert unit frame means provided with a pet-doorway-defining frame means adjacent to the bottom thereof; said pet-doorway-defining frame means being provided with a normally closed, pet-openable, automatically closable door member normally lying across and substantially closing a pet doorway opening defined by said petdoorway-defining frame means; said pet-openable door member being provided with attachment means effectively attaching same with respect to a corresponding portion of said pet-doorway-defining frame means, said attachment means comprising effective hinge means of flexible material characterized by what is known as plastic memory; said insert unit frame means being adapted to be positioned vertically between corresponding, vertically spaced, upper and lower, sliding-door trackway means, with top and bottom edges of said insert unit frame means being fixedly engageable therewith, and with a first vertical side edge of said insert unit frame means being laterally engageable and abuttable with an end-positioned, vertically directed door jamb of a sliding-door frame and with an opposite second vertical side edge of said insert unit fRame means being laterally engageable and abuttable with a vertically directed edge of a sliding door slidably carried between such vertically spaced, upper and lower, slidingdoor trackway means of such a sliding-door frame whereby to provide a continuous closure of an opening which would otherwise be present between such a vertically directed sliding-door edge and such a vertically directed door jamb of such a sliding-door frame; an auxiliary sealing door movably mounted with respect to a corresponding portion of said pet-doorway-defining frame means and of a size and shape such as to be movable between an open position and a fully closed, sealed position completely closing off and sealing the pet doorway opening defined by said petdoorway-defining frame means, said auxiliary sealing door and an adjacent portion of said pet-doorway-defining frame means being provided with controllably engageable and controllably disengageable, side-positioned, latching means for latching said auxiliary sealing door at one side thereof in said fully closed, sealed relationship, when desired; said mounting of said auxiliary sealing door being achieved by the provision of sidepositioned hinge means including two vertically separable mating parts comprising a hinge door part mounted along a corresponding side edge of said auxiliary sealing door and a hinge frame part carried by a corresponding side portion of said pet-doorwaydefining frame means, with said two mating hinge parts being effectively pivotally interconnected for rotation around a substantially vertical axis and being directly vertically separable, said hinge door part and said hinge frame part comprising corresponding male and female parts, with said male part being directly vertically insertible into said female part and being correspondingly oppositely directly vertically removable therefrom whenever it is desired to completely remove the aux-iliary sealing door from the adjacent side-positioned mounting portion of the pet-doorway-defining frame means.
 2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said second vertically directed side edge of said insert unit frame means is provided with one portion of a two-element sliding-door latch and lock means lockingly and unlockingly cooperable with a mating element of such a two-element sliding-door latch and lock means adapted to be correspondingly, positionally carried by an adjacent, vertically directed edge of such a sliding door adapted to be carried by such a sliding-door frame.
 3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein an opposite portion of said pet-doorway-defining frame means is provided with an additional hinge frame part interchangeably engageable with the corresponding hinge door part of the auxiliary sealing door whereby to provide for interchangeable mounting of said auxiliary sealing door in either of at least two different positions relative to said pet doorway opening defined within said pet-doorway-defining frame means, thus making the insert unit means interchangeably reversible for cooperation with a sliding-door frame trackway means and either a left or right, substantially vertically directed door jamb thereof.
 4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said insert unit frame means is provided with an intermediate panel means comprising a substantially transparent window positioned above said pet-doorway-defining frame means. 